Services - CSS3 & HTML5

Overview

Technical Web Services are currently focusing on development using CSS3 and HTML5, with all new developments using these standards and all managed clients having had their site assets upgraded accordingly. In fact there is very little legacy material left at all in the TWS portfolio.

CSS3

CSS3 encompasses quite a few things really, in particular, current applications include:

Font Face - very exciting potential for uplifting complete stylisation of typographic design perspectives. To some extent, the entire look and feel of a site can be dictated by its H1 font, ie, the title on each page. By using a dramatic or stylistic font utilising the potential for Font Face great changes can be made.

Border Radius - Lots of potential for using this features

Gradients - Lots of potential for using this features

Transitions - Probably one of the most existing features currently in play. TWS are looking forward to replacing all javascript driven and especially flash driven images sliders/transitions. However, this is still pending wide spread browser support. The graphics at the top of this page are actually transitional.... Did you spot it? No, well, come back in a few years...

Media Queries - No active applications yet but this is an area currently being explored.

However, TWS is constantly reviewing the potential for utilising new CSS3 techniques in relation to new and existing design requirements.

HTML5

The HTML5 doc type allows for a lot more browser based functionality to be realised. Current areas of interest are:

Forms - A number of existing forms features including date pickers and verification processes as well as auto completing/hinting.

Canvas - Good for implementing water marks, and building up real time graphics.

Embedded Content - Options for embedding video and audio content without third party plugins.

TWS are constantly developing this skill set. whilst not too wide spread, virtually all TWS clients are already using HTML5 doc types and are ready and poised to leverage any of the emerging capabilities that emerge.

Forward Thinking

TWS is a forward thinking company. As a commercial enterprise we are faced with the need to balance experimentation with practical application. As such we need to attain a balance between commercially viable techniques and sustainably practical design and build methods. This means that clients webs sites will always display a bias towards the new and latest techniques whilst maintaining the simplicity and elegance that makes them efficient working tools.

TWS are also aware that many people have no idea what CSS3 and HTML5 and many other terms mean. We tend to describe them simply as systems similar to those of Betamax and VHS, VHS and DVD, Analogue and Digital. Like a film shown in Betamax and then shown in VHS, your web site will look just the same. Its just a more modern way of doing it. These newer techniques are designed to accommodate the future, they allow for greater transportability across new platforms, I-Pads etc. In fact, the difference is often imperceptible. However, the difference is there, whether its the fact that CSS is simpler to modify centrally through to the dynamic potential of font face libraries over fix stylised graphics, the new techniques all offer something and bit by bit the older techniques and methods will bring about their own issues and difficulties. It is the aim of TWS to provide its clients with the optimum balance and present methods that are in the best interest of the customer and the needs of their web site.

As such, if you have any questions about these new standards, please feel free to ask.